There was still one WorldTour rider competing in road racing last week as Orica-BikeExchange's Cheung King Lok was part of the Hong Kong national team lined up in the Tour of Fuzhou, a race in which he made the top 10 overall one year ago. But for him, his first road race since the Rio Olympics meant the start of the 2017 season as he prepares for the switch from road racing to the track.
Cheung won the bronze medal at the world championships in Cali, Colombia, in the scratch race in 2014. He's expected to take part in the UCI Track World Championships on home turf in Hong Kong (12-16 April). In preparation, he will likely take part in World Cup events in Cali (17-19 February) and Los Angeles (25-26 February).
"I'm not a real WorldTour rider yet as I still have to share my time between road and track, between Hong Kong team and Orica-BikeExchange but I hope to be more of a road rider in the future," he told Cyclingnews at the Tour of Fuzhou.
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The 25-year-old was the second Hong Kong rider recruited by Orica team manager Shayne Bannan after Choi Ki Ho three years ago, but the winner of the inaugural Tour of Fuzhou in 2012 decided to quit cycling instead of turning pro at 22. Bannan renewed his ties with Hong Kong head coach Shen Jinkang, known as "coach Shen" after hosting his pupil Wang Kam Po years ago in Adelaide.
"My jump to the pro ranks is the three-party agreement between myself, Orica and coach Shen," Cheung explained.
"One year ago, for sure I wouldn't have imagined what would happen to me in 2016. But the Asian championship [in cold conditions in Japan at the end of January] changed my destiny. I won both the road race and the time trial and I got connected to Orica-GreenEdge [his pro contract started on 15 March]."
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